As Bike Lanes Proliferate, So Do Disputes
In blistering August heat and sopping city humidity, Councilman Alan J. Gerson held a rally on the busy corner of Mott and Grand Streets in Chinatown at noon on Friday to oppose a bike lane. Mr. Gerson, his collar wilting in the heat, told the sweat-drenched crowd, which included a fair share of helmet-wearing cycling advocates, that while he supported bike lanes in general, he objected to the way this particular lane was put into place.
“It’s not whether or not there should be a bike lane,” he said, “but where.”
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Others voiced concern that reckless cyclists were putting pedestrians, especially the elderly, at risk. Those concerns have not been backed up by studies by the city’s Transportation Department, which found that total traffic accidents along the lane decreased 29 percent, despite a significant increase in the number of bicycles.
“The Grand Street bike lane provides critical protection for the nearly 1,000 bicyclists who use it daily and also for motorists and pedestrians along the corridor,” Seth Solomonow, a department spokesman, said in a statement.